Colsten Gets Number Two At Penn Can

Susquehanna, Pa..8/21/98..Mike Colsten used the high outside groove that no one

else was using over the last twelve laps to pass leader Alan Rudalavage

on lap twenty-six and go on to win the thirty lap Modified feature on

Susquehanna Bevreage/We-Go Racing Fan Club Night at the Penn Can

Speedway last Friday night.

Rudalavage and Bob Hamm shared the front row at the drop of the

initial green flag and it was Hamm who showed his advantage first. Hamm led the

first two laps of he feature before Rudalavage took over. Rudalavage was

setting a comfortable pace when the race's first yellow occurred on lap

eight for a four car incident in turn four which involved point

runner-up Jeff Rudalavage.

Over the course of the next five laps, no less than five more

caution periods happened, the last of which involved the eventual race winner.

During the course of that incident, Colsten never stopped his momentum

and the next lap was never scored so Colsten was given his ninth running

spot back. When the race resumed Alan Rudalavage was in front and Rick

Virkitis was doing the chasing and that duo started to pull away from the field.

Just past the half way point Colsten moved up top and the big

Ford powered machine found a new home. Lap after lap he started to pass car after

car, seemingly without an effort. He moved into the top five on lap

twenty-two, fourth a lap later, third two laps later, second another lap later and

finally into the top spot by Rudalavage on lap twenty-six. Once in

front, Colsten flexed the muscle and the "Recycler" pulled away from the field

and in the end won by eight to ten car lengths over Rudalavage, who scored

his best finish in along time with a solid second. Virkitis came home third.

Chuck Akulis took fourth by inches from Butch Tittle. The rest of the

top ten had Jim Witko in sixth followed by Jeff Bronson in seventh, last

week's winner Bill Tittle in eighth, point leader Carl Nagel in ninth and

rounding out the top ten was Kirk Horton.

Pete Gulick and Joe Domiano started on the front row of the

twenty lap Street Stock feature and it was Gulick who once again set the early pace

with Domiano falling right into second, leaving the rest of the field to

battle behind them. Former winner Jamie Shea moved into third on lap

four with Mike Decker and Glen Wilcox right behind.

As the laps ticked off during the early portions of the race it

became apparent that it nothing out of the ordinary happened, this was Gulick's

race to win or lose. Decker was the first to make the move. He

challenged Shea and Domiano on lap ten as went from fourth to second in one lap.

After that he tried unsuccessfully for a number of laps to get the luckless

Gulick for the top spot. It finally happened on lap eighteen as Gulick

pushed out wide coming off turn two and Decker was right there to take

advantage. Once in front Decker had clear sailing as the 1997 Pure Stock

champion took home his first ever Street Stock win at Penn Can. Gulick

enjoyed his best finish as a rookie with a solid second. This duo was

followed by Domiano in third, Shea in fourth and current point leader

Mike Loney in fifth.

Dan Stone broke his dry spell with a convincing win in the

twenty lap Late Model feature. Stone started on the pole because of his terrible luck

the last few weeks. Larry Dilello was the chief pursuer the first seven laps

before Gene Sharpsteen took over that job. Sharpsteen was all over stone

the last twelve laps like a wet blanket but it didn't faze Stone one

bit.

Lurking in the background was Curt Tunilo was dogging the front

running duo after gaining the third spot from Dilello on lap thirteen. As the

front three got the white, Tunilo started to make his move, getting on the

high side of Sharpsteen as the went down the backstretch. Stone opened a car

length lead as Tunilo edged Sharpsteen at the line for second as the

checkers flew. Dilello came home fourth and former winner Alan Coy was

fifth.

Ron Latwinski led the early portions of the fourteen car,

fifteen lap Pure Stock event as he and former winner, Joe battled it out fore the top

spot. Latwinski held the top spot for the first five laps before current point

leader Dwayne Robbins moved by for the lead. Once in front, Robbins

openedm up a comfortable margin over the field and went on to secure his fifth

feature event win of the year. He was chased home by Latwinski, who got

his best finish of the year so far with a second. Kevin Cole took third

while Rich Keehle and Joe Cole completed the top five.

The KLASCAR Legends Series was also on the card Friday night for

a twenty lap feature and it was second generation driver Paul Rochelle Jr. taking

the win. Wayne Laucious was the early leader in this relatively caution

free event. Rochelle took over from Laucious on lap five and had only a

brief slow down for a spin by Jeff Yeakel on lap ten to slow the

proceedings. Ray Scigowski took over second from Laucious on lap

seventeen as gave chase to Rochelle but it was in vain as Rochelle took home the

victory. Scigowski came home second followed by Bryan Levan in third,

Laucious in fourth and point leader Kevin Welsh in fifth.

Next week's proceedings will be sponsored by Endless Mountain

Stone Company and the Old Colonial Inn. with the Dwarf Cars added to the card

of Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks. Racing is set to

begin at 7:30 p.m.

SUSQUEHANNA BEVERAGE/WE-GO RACING FAN CLUB MODIFIED FINISH: Mike

Colsten, Alan Rudalavage, Rick Virkitis, Chuck Akulis, Butch Tittle, Jim Witko,

Jeff Bronson, Bill Tittle, Carl Nagel, Kirk Horton, Jeff Rudalavage, Randy

Decker, John Siedlecky, Jim Witko Jr., Rusty Harrington, Bob Hamm Jr.,

Eddie White, Billy Huff, Mike Nagel, Dan Morden, Glen Knapp, Dan

Hineline, Alan Kellogg, Garth Tonkin, George Kostelansky.

SUSQUEHANNA BEVERAGE/WE-GO RACING FAN CLUB LATE MODEL FINISH:

Dan Stone,

Curt Tunilo, Gene Sharpsteen, Larry Dilello, Alan Coy, Dave Passetti,

Dave Zona, Keith Stone, Ed Hoffman, Scott Brady, Jamie Griffiths, Warren

Stone, Rich Latwinski, Jason Bedford, Pete Hoover, Randall Paxton, Brad

Schafer, Dick Sharpsteen, Jim O'hara, Ed Hollenback.

SUSQUEHANNA BEVERAGE/WE-GO RACING FAN CLUB STREET STOCK FINISH:

Mike Decker, Pete Gulick, Joe Domiano, Jamie Shea, Mike Loney, Glenn Wilcox,

Dick Vauter, Chris Hunsinger, Chuck Boman, Frank Bonham, Paul Rooney,

Ken Sparks Jr., Larry Mills, John Greene, Mike Frost, Bret Spoor, Dave

Flynn, Jerry Tonti, Tony Nalachi, Ken Hineline, Craig Trella, Dan Podwika,

Jerry Whitmarsh, Mike Buchek.

SUSQUEHANNA BEVERAGE/WE-GO RACING FAN CLUB PURE STOCK FINISH:

Dwayne Robbins, Ron Latwinski, Kevin Cole, Rich Keehle, Joe Cole, Dave Carp,

Nate Evans, Eric Pribula, Ned Finch, Adam Diaz, Keith Hoffman, Bill Teribury,

Sheppard Blodgett, Kevin Simko.

SUSQUEHANNA BEVERAGE/WE-GO RACING FAN CLUB KLASCAR LEGENDS

FINISH: Paul Rochelle Jr., Ray Scigowski, Bryan Levan, Wayne Laucious, Kevin Welsh,

Jim Baker, Ron Dunstan, Tim Henry, Walt Martowicz, Kevin Brislin, Howard

Bryant, Mike Burrell, Carey May, Zach Dunkleberger, Lloyd Blake, Ken

Titus, Joe Plunkett, Paul Weisel, Lawrence Garrison, Pete Welsh, Tim Driscoll,

Jeff Yaekel, Tim Tomson, Joe Sanflippo.